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April 10, 2015

Sustainable Design Benefits the Community

Green buildings with sustainable designs are responsive to the environment and can actively contribute to the development of healthy communities. Green buildings are not a simple development trend; more and more, communities are becoming interested in reducing their carbon footprint and are looking to encourage sustainable behaviors for the environment. Businesses are internally implementing sustainability initiatives and are encouraging other companies to adopt similar practices reaping environmental, economic and social benefits.

Reduce Emissions-

Sustainable building design techniques like solar engineering, daylighting and becoming LEED certified increase energy efficiency and reduce harmful emissions

Save Energy-

Studies show that the costs of green buildings are not substantially higher than regular development projects and in fact, the resource efficiency provided by green design and technology leads to a drastic reduction in operational cost that continue to offer dramatic long-term savings.

Moderate Temperature-

Offset heat retention by using a conscientious building design team as well as planting trees to accompany new developments.

Reduce Waste-

Construction generates a very large portion of solid waste in the U.S. Sustainable building designs can result in massive decreases of waste production.

Increase Property Value-

With energy costs on the rise, lower operating costs and easy maintenance of sustainable buildings make for higher property values.

Increase Employee Productivity-

Green corporate practices mean more productive employees, according to a study published in the Journal of Organizational Behavior, employees at companies that have adopted sustainable policies are 16% more productive than those working at organizations that do not engage in these practices. Find out more about how facility engineering impacts productivity through corporate interiors.

Improve Health-

Green buildings emphasize ventilation and non-toxic, low emitting materials that create a healthier and more comfortable living and working environment. Buildings with poor indoor environmental quality (IEQ) resulting from insufficient air circulation, poor lighting, mold build up, temperature variances and high concentration of pollutants contribute widely to respiratory problems, allergies, nausea, headaches, etc.

Boost HVAC Efficiency-

HVAC systems are the main energy consumers in commercial buildings. They account for approximately half of all the energy used in U.S. buildings. Not only is this bad for the environment, but it also adds up to large utility bills that in turn are passed on to consumers. Find out more how you can save energy with a commercial HVAC upgrade.

Sustainable Design with KMB

Energy and resource efficient, eco- friendly designs are beneficial to the community and environment, socially responsible and thus well received, and often the most economical and best operational choice for our clients. The KMB engineering staff includes multiple LEED- accredited professionals who will either spearhead or actively participate in the LEED Charette process, and perform the LEED Administrator role including USGBC submissions, submittal reviews, and managing the online process. They also can prepare an extensive MEP design narrative illustrating the systems involved and their operations and benefits.